Curb Bit

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The mouthpiece of this bit, composed of scatches (flattened canons) with a gooseneck port, was intended for a horse with a good mouth and a thick tongue, but which leans too much on the bit. The scatches also disarm the lips (moving them aside from the gums) without pressing them too much. In contemporary equestrian manuals, these shanks are called à la gigotte, which means that the swivel ring’s hole is aligned (‘on the line’) with the axis of the banquet (piece to which the mouthpiece is attached), but the shank’s knee projects forwards. They were used on horses with ‘a natural beautiful position but with week loins or being weary to hold it.’ The pierced decoration of the bit and its bosses, giving a lace-like aspect to the metal, is typical of the decoration used by the spur makers in the South East of Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries. Despite their name, spur makers not only made spurs, but also all other small equestrian hardware like bits, stirrups, muzzles, cavessons or curry-combs, sometimes adorned with the same intricate decoration.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art